Histories of the US Army 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne)

75 Pages·2010·4.48 MB·English

Description of document: Histories of the US Army 160th Special Operations
Aviation Regiment (Airborne) [SOAR], 1991 - 2001

Requested date: 2009

Released date: 12-January-2010

Posted date: 25-January-2010

Titles of documents: See following page

Source of document: Freedom of Information Act Office
USASOC (AOIM-ISM/FOIA)
2929 Desert Storm Drive (Stop A)
Fort Bragg, NC 28310-9110
USASOC E-FOIA online request form
Email: [email protected]
Fax: [phone]

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Included Records

Full copy redacted report:

• A History of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), October 2001

First two pages of:

• 160th SOAR Annual Historical Review, January 91 - December 91
• 160th SOAR Annual Historical Review, calendar year 1991
• 160th SOAR Annual Historical Review, calendar year 1992
• 160th SOAR Annual Historical Report for calendar Year 1993
• 160th SOAR Annual Historical Report for Calendar Year 1994
• Headquarters and Headquarters Battery Division Artillery, 101st Airborne Division (Air
Assault), 1996 Annual Historical Review, 1 January 1996 – 31 December 1996
• l60th Special Operations Aviation (Airborne) Annual Historica1 Review CY97
• 160th SOAR(A) Annual Historical Review - CY98
• 160th SOAR(A) Annual Historical Report for Calendar Year (Cy) 2001
• Historical Report 160th SOAR (A), January 2001 to December 2001
DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY
HEADQUARTERS, UNITED STATES ARMY
SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMAND
2929 DESERT STORM DRIVE
FORT BRAGG, NORTH CAROLINA 28310-9110
REPLY TO
ATTENTION OF: January 12, 2010
Information Systems Management
Branch
This is in response to your Freedom of Information Act
(FOIA) request, U.S. Army Special Operations Command (USASOC)
Case #09-76. Your request consisted of two separate requests
combined into one, Part 1 and Part 2. Part 1 requests a copy of
internal written history of the 160th SOAR covering the 1980s.
Part 2 requests a copy of the title page and coversheet for each
history of the 160th SOAR.
The U.S. Army 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment and
the U.S. Army Special Warfare Center School conducted a thorough
search for records responsive to your request. Documents
(72 pages) were located. A redacted copy of the documents is
enclosed. The Office of the Secretary of Defense has designated
Headquarters, U.S. Special Operations Command, its components'
headquarters, and theater Special Operations Commands as
"sensitive units" as defined by 10 USC 130b. The code (10 USC
130b) precludes release of personally identifying information in
units that are sensitive, routinely deployable, or overseas.
Information is being withheld pursuant to Exemption 1 of the
FOIA (E.O, Order 12958 (b) (1)), because the information pertains
to military weapons systems. Personally identifying information
regarding any person's name, rank, duty address, official title,
official email address, and phone numbers contained in the
requested documents is being withheld under Exemption 3 of the
FOIA (5 USC 552 (b) (3)) and Exemption 6 of the FOIA (5 USC
552(b) (6)). Information is also being withheld pursuant to
Exemption 6 of the FOIA, because disclosure of this information
would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion into the
individual's privacy interests.
-2-
While you agreed to accept a "releasable" copy of the
information, you retain the right to request the records in
their entirety. At that time you will be given a formal denial,
and you will be advised of your right to appeal.
This is only a preliminary decision. We are referring your
request to the Office of the Judge Advocate General, Attention:
DAJA-AL, 1777 N. Kent Street, loth Floor, Rosslyn, VA 22209, for
a final determination and direct reply to you.
There is no charge for processing your request, as the fees
fell below our $15.00 threshold.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding this matter,
please call Ms. Mary Bowling, FOIA Officer, at (910) 432-9233,
email: [email protected]
(910) 432-9107, email: [email protected]).
nSi ncerely,
~\ ~
fU ~CJ~
Campbell P. Cantelou
Colonel, u.S. Army
Chief Information Officer/G-6
Enclosures
LlBRARY
OF CONGRESS
th
A History of the 160 Special Operations Aviation Reginlent
(Airborne)
A Report Prepared by the Federal Research Division,
Libra,,/ of Congress
Under an Interagency Agreement with the
160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne)
October 2001
Ib6
_____
Amho1~ b_6 ____~
Federal Research Division
Library of Congress
Washington, D.C. 20540-4840
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
E-Mail: frds@/oc.gov
Hom~page:
http://lcweb.loc.gov/lrlfrdl
Preface
This report traces the history of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment
(SOAR) (Airborne) from its inception in October 1981 to the present. Based on
information from unclassified files of the 160th SOAR (A) and interviews with many of
the partiCipants, the report describes some of the major operations in which the unit has
been involved, as well as the reorganizations that the unit has undergone in the past
twenty years. When available. photographs from the actual operations have been
included.
A History of the
160th Special Opellltions Aviation Regiment (Airborne)
ii
Contents
Introduction ..... 1
111 ....... l1li .......... 111 ••••• II ............
The Creation of Task Foree 160 ...................... 1
Missions ..... ,. .................... ., ...................... 6
Operation URGENT FURY (October 1983) ............... 6
Restructuring .. 12
111 •• II ••• '" •• 111 ..... '" .... 111 111 111 ........ 111 111 ••••
Operations EARNEST WILL
and PRIME CHANCE (July 1987-August 1989). ......1 4
Operation MOUNT HOPE TIl (.June 1988) •..•.....•••••••2 2
Operation JUST CAUSE (December 1989-January 1990) .••.2 4
Reorganization 27
II ......... 111 .. 111 • 111 ••• 111 ......... ,. ........ •••
Operation DESERT SHIELDIDESERT STORM
(August 1990-ApriI1991) •••••.••••••••..••.2 9
Somalia/Operation GOTHIC SERPENT
(August-October 1993) •.••••.•••..•.••••.••3 3
Operation UPHOLD DEMOCRACY (September 1994) ..••.3 7
Other Operations. 38
111 111 111 .......... 111 111 • ., ••••••• II • 411 .... 111 •• 111 111 111 111 •
Conclusion ................ 40
III .................................
iii
Lf
Introduction
It is fitting that on the 20th anniversary of the founding of what we now know as the
160th SpeciaJ Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) "Night Stalkers" we honor the many
brave soldiers who have served in this unit. They have frequently been asked to put their lives
on the line, and some have made the ultimate sacrifice in order that the I 60th could accomplish
its special mission. The men of the 160th and their aircraft often have displayed their unique
qualifications for clandestinely infiltrating, supporting, and exfiltrating special operations forces
and rescuing downed persoIUlel in hostile environment~ throughout the world, as well as for
carrying out routine combat patrols and escort duties. Whatever the mission, the Night Stalkers
oftbe 160th h.ave always remained true to their motto, "Night Stalkers Don't Quit!"
The Creation of Task Force 160
Following the April 1980 failure of Operation EAGLE CLAW, the attempted U.S.
hostage rescue in Iran, President Carter appointed Admiral James L. Holloway, III. the former
Chief of Naval Operations, to head a commission to study the deficiencies revealed by the
operation. Among the findings was the fact that the military lacked aircraft and crews who were
trained and prepared to perform these types of missions. The services would later formally
address the findings of the commission. but, in the short term, the focus was on recovering the
hostages. To accomplish this task, the Army turned to the 1OlstAviation Group of the 101st
Airborne Division (Air Assault.) at Fort Campbell~ Kentucky. The division possessed the greatest
number and variety of heLicopters of any unit within the Army, and thus showed the greatest
potential for the rapid development of a rotary wing specia1 operations capability.
5
The special project kno':"Il as Honey Badger would center around th~ hlM~ ~ viation
Battalion. Companie&~fthe battalion had acquired the Anny's new UH-60 assault
helicopter and would serve as the primary assault force for the project. The UH-60A Blackhawk
was an easily deployable and highly capable assault helicopter and with its great power was able
to carry large payloads at high speeds. Th~ttack Helicopter Battalion would initially
provide pilots for the light assault helicopters. They would later man the light attack component
as well. OH-6A scout helicopters (Little Birds) were chosen for the Ught assault role because of
their small size and ease of transport. The Little Birds could carry only three soldiers and a
single pilot, but they could land in the most restrictive locations. Personnel at Fort Rucker,
Alabama developed armed Little Birds as a s~parate part ufthe project. Selecte®ersonnel
would team with the Fort Rucker element toward the end of the initial project as compan~ !~MI
I~J~ttack
Helicopter Battalion became the Littie Bh-d organization of the Task Force.
compan~ b36~6 ~t\ssault
Support Helicopter Battalion would provide the heavy lift element of
the new organization. CH:-47C Chinooks, although not as easily deployable as the other ~ircraft,
were capable of moving large numbers of personnel and heavier payloads. The Chinooks would
proye most effective in the projeet by establishing forward area refueUrearm points (F ARPs) for
long-range operations.\ Together, these men and aircraft formed Task Force~
m
The 160 SOAR (A) still uses the same basic models of aircraft that were used in the
initial project; however. they have undergone significant modifications to enhance mission
performance. The current inventory includes the follo\Ving aircraft.
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